Chapter 6

One weekend Leonard and Penny took their kids and dogs to a vacation up in Washington State. They stayed in a huge cabin in the woods with all their friends. Sheldon was reluctant to go but as always Amy convinced him on how smarter their children would be. Sheldon did not want his friends children be smarter than his own.

One evening Sheldon made Leonard upset and Penny suggested he go for a hike with the dogs. Penny was busy with the all kids along with Amy, Bernadette, and Raj's wife other wise she would have went with him.

A little time later Penny screamed seeing Leonard at the screen door looking very dirty. Same went with the dogs. She rolled her eyes as Leonard shrugged his shoulders. Penny got up and as she opened the door she about threw up. "Why in the hell do you a d the dogs smell like skunk? And why are you so dirty?" Penny asked as she stepped out onto the deck closing the screen door holding her nose.

Leonard frowned, "Oh I don't know Skywalker here thought it would be funny to pick up a dead rotting animal and play tug a war with Vader. I took the plastic bag out of my pocket to grab the dead animal and when they pulled we slid down a hill. Then happened to land on a skunk. So me and our wonderful fur babies as you call them got sprayed... And all of that my right ankle is killing me..." Leonard held a straight face as he looked at his wife. Then he looked down at his dogs who just stayed by his side's but wagging their tails.

The only reason they were wagging their tales because held her hand over her mouth but could not resist laughing. "Sorry honey...You stay here. I will get ice for your ankle...I will send someone to the general store up the road to get tomato juice lots and lots of it. Get undressed and as I get your ice I will get your swim trunks..." Penny turned around to head back in.

Before she did Leonard just stood there. "I'm glad my experience with a skunk and hurting my ankle amuses you..." Then he looked down at Skywalker and Vader as they looked up at him. "Good thing I love you both other wise I would make you suffer by sending you home with Sheldon." The dogs just wagged their tails harder. Which made Leonard roll his eyes.

Few minutes later Leonard undressed and got his swim trunks on. He sat down to ice his ankle. Penny threw his clothes away because there were no saving them. Penny and the kids found a kiddie pool in the garage and cleaned it up. Amy and Bernadette came back with tomato juice and new collars for the dogs.

Then Leonard sat in the pool with the dogs as Penny and all the kids scrubbed them down with the juice. Leonard frowned the whole time with Penny laughing the whole time. Howard the recorded and then put the video on the internet.

Leonard began not to stink so much after some time and was even take a normal shower. Penny then drove him to a clinic to check out his ankle. Everything looked okay, so he just got a small air cast.

As for the dogs they still had a small smell of skunk to them. Skywalker was a reddish color to his white fur from the juice. Since the dogs had to sleep outside that night, all the kids were upset. So Penny set up tents for all the kids to sleep outside with the dogs. Penny and Bernadette ended up sleeping out too so the kids would not be scared.

The next day the kids wanted to go swimming in the lake and saw there was a swinging rope. All the kids wanted to learn how to do it so of course Penny showed them how to do it. Leonard was resting his foot as Vader stayed back with him on the deck. Leonard watched on how impressed he was Penny could still do that. He watched the kids do what Penny taught them. He then noticed Skywalker antics trying to swing off the rope also probably thinking it was a toy. Leonard laughed as he patted Vader's head. "You and Skywalker are very good boys. I'm sorry I threatened you to send you off with Sheldon. Even though it would be quite entertaining." Vader lifted his head and locked Leonard's hand.

As Penny stayed down by the lake watching the kids swim, she noticed Skywalker was on the shore line pouncing on little fish in the shallow end of the water. She was glad Skywalker was still very playful knowing he was about ten years old now. Penny knew he had still another three or four years on him but still made her very sad. To her and Leonard that was their first baby and she would never be prepared the day he left them. She loved Vader and was very loyal but very calm for a five year old dog. But Penny also knew there would never be another dog like Skywalker. Penny wiped a tear from her eyes as she watched her dog now play in the lake with the kids.

Rest of the week the kids went swimming everyday with one or more parent watching them or swimming with them. Skywalker was alsways there too. He would run on the deck with the kids and jump off at the same time. To him it did not matter what kid it was either, he would just swim as fast as he could so he could run with the next.

Or the kids would be on a raft with Skywalker. Everytime a fish same by he would jump off trying to catch it. Only making the kids laugh. One day though Skywalker was on the little beach area as the the kids were being taught how to skip a rock. The dog was digging holes and began to whimper. Penny ran to him and saw a very small turtle biting onto Skywalker's muzzle and would not let go. Skywalker would not settle down, so Leonard. Howard, and Amy had to hold him down so Penny could get the turtle off. She was just thankful it was not a snapping turtle.

By end of the week everyone was glad to go back home. But as they did, Skywalker ran to the back door. Leonard opened it as Skywalker ran as fast as he could jumping into their pool. Their kids soon followed.

Once the evening came, Emmett the oldest Hofstadter children was practicing the piano. It did not take long for Skywalker to join him by barking everytime Emmett hit a wrong note. Penny knew that distracted Emmett because he would laugh at Skywalker. So she got Skywalker's attention and brought him to her yoga room where he would actual watch her and would join Penny.

As the kids went to bed that night Vader went with them. Skywalker decided to stay with Penny and Leonard. Leonard found it odd, but missed Skywalker sleeping with them. They were too exhausted to fool around anyways. So Leonard held Penny as Penny held Skywalker that night.